Pseudoconyza viscosa (Mill.) D'Arcy

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Habit

Annual herb 0.3–1.2 m tall, sometimes woody at base; stems pilose with long slender hairs and short glandular hairs.

Leaves

Leaves aromatic, (narrowly) obovate and often lobed, sessile or with a winged petiole, 2–5 cm long, 0.8–3 cm wide (occasionally basal leaves to 16 cm long and 7 cm wide, rarely also large leaves at branch bases), base auriculate with small, narrowly ovate auricles, sometimes decurrent in two lines of lobes similar to the auricles, margins irregularly serrate and often blade pinnatifid proximally, apex acute, pilose and glandular on both surfaces.

Capitulum

Capitula 6–9 mm long, in lax leafy corymbs of several to many heads; stalks of individual capitula 2–20 mm long; phyllaries subequal, the outermost smallest, 2–8 mm long, 0.5–1.2 mm wide, margins scarious and ciliate, acute, pubescent and glandular.

Florets

Outer florets white to pinkish, 180–280, tube filiform, 3.7–4.2 mm long, minutely toothed; style 4.3–4.6 mm long with glabrous branches; inner florets pinkish purple, 6–12, tube 4–5 mm long, widening only slightly, lobes 0.3–0.5 mm long, glandular; anthers 1.5–1.8 mm long, with very short tails and short ovate distal appendages; style 4.5–5.2 mm long with short papillose branches.

Fruits

Achenes cylindrical, 0.7–1 mm long, pubescent; pappus of white barbellate bristles 4–5 mm long.

Figures

Fig. 72 (page 358).

Habitat

Moist sites along rivers, in forest, also a weed of cultivation; 1–1350 m

Distribution

K1 K3 K4 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 a widespread weed of the tropics and subtropics, but uncommon in our area